Quick Hits
Quick news items and worthy reads from around the web:
Spotimap: Fun with maps. And music.
Billboard releases Power 100 rankings Continue Reading
Author: Anna Washenko
BASCA wants new deal for songwriter royalties
The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors announced a new campaign that aims to increase the percentage of royalty income that songwriters receive from online music services. The initiative is seeking a 50/50 split of the royalties, in addition to an larger slice of advertising income from YouTube and other comparable platforms. Continue Reading
Vevo had more than 10 billion video views in January
Vevo announced updated viewing data for its video hosting platform, reporting that its clips had more than 10 billion monthly video views in January 2015. The figure marked an 86% increase year-over-year for Vevo. Continue Reading
Tidal announces another global expansion
Hi-fi streaming service Tidal announced plans to push into 22 new markets during the first quarter of 2015. The expansion, coming hot on the heels of another European push that already happened in January, will bring Tidal’s total audience to 30 nations. Continue Reading
Pandora, iHeart land places on comScore’s digital properties list
ComScore released its review of the top 50 digital media properties in the U.S. for December 2014. Pandora ranked No. 19 with 89.4 million unique visitors during the month. iHeartMedia Digital also secured the final spot on the new list at No. 50. Continue Reading
Rumor Fact(ory): First leaks about Apple’s new Beats
Yesterday, Apple news site 9to5mac.com reported that it had received inside information about what the company’s new Beats Music-inspired streaming service will look like. Of course, the author gave no names or explanations of how and where he obtained the intel, so we’re taking it with a grain of salt for the time being. But here’s what we learned. Continue Reading
Pandora joins Internet lobby group
Pandora has joined a trade group called the Internet Association. The group works on advocacy within many Web-centric topics, such as net neutrality, protecting Internet freedom, developing the Internet economy, privacy, and cybersecurity, but it also lobbies on broader topics such as international trade and law enforcement. Continue Reading
SoundHound’s top moments from the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl Halftime Show had some excellent news for the performers involved, but SoundHound reviewed more than just the music from the game. The sound-identification app cited Missy Elliott’s performance of “Work It” as the most SoundHounded moment. Continue Reading
Spotify and Rhapsody look into their data troves for Grammy predictions
For music’s biggest night, it’s no surprise that many industry members have been trading predictions about who the big winners will be. Streaming services are among those looking into their crystal balls to divine which tunes and artists will take home awards. Continue Reading
Streaming revenue rose 35% last year in France
Le Syndicat National de l’édition Phonographique, better known to non-French speakers as SNEP, revealed that France’s recorded music market revenue fell 5.3% last year to €570.6 million. Revenue from physical formats dropped 11.5% to €325.3 million. Continue Reading
Hi-Def Update: Pogue takes on Pono
The first rumblings of skepticism about Pono Music and its promised revolution in sound quality emerged last month, and since then the critics have become more visible and more vocal. Professional musician and journalist David Pogue is the latest to turn his ear to the question of how much different hi-def listening can really offer. In the interest of science, he conducted a blind experiment. Continue Reading
Rdio adds free radio option for New Zealand
Rdio announced an update to its service in New Zealand, opening up free ad-supported Internet radio to listeners in that country. The updates are available on the Rdio app and website in the New Zealand market. Continue Reading